Investor's Hub (iHub) Boards Are a Basher's Paradise

What is Investor's Hub or iHub?

iHub, as it's commonly referred to among investors, is a place where many investors go to chat about the stocks they are invested in with others on "boards". The site does have other features, but the "boards" are what seem to be why most visitors are there for.

I for one went there to help obtain different perspectives, perhaps information I'd not found yet, and to learn things about trading on the OTC. When I got there, however, I learned very quickly that not everyone there was there to help. In fact, many were there for quite the opposite.

What Makes iHub A Basher's Paradise?

Let's be clear, you'll find bashers on more than just iHub. As a matter of fact, you'd probably be harder pressed to find a chat room for an OTC stock that doesn't have a basher or two sneaktheir way in. So what makes Investor's Hub so bad?

First, the boards get over run with them. They seem to have found a home on iHub where if you post something that supports the investment, they will begin to post repeatedly in groups in order to drive that information into an abyss of bash posts. What's worse?

Moderators Deleted These Posts. For What?

Here is an example of what happened to one user when he tried to fend off a basher on iHub. | Source

The boards on iHub have moderators. People assigned to watch over the board so to speak. They have the power to "sticky" important information regarding the stock being discussed as well as delete comments they feel are against their policy or...in some cases, don't fit the moderators agenda.

I personally have had my comments, which were clean and completely within their rules, be deleted from the board. No explanation. Just deleted. Meanwhile, basher posts were being "stickied" to the top and I am not alone. Many iHub refugees have echoed the same thing on Facebook and Twitter after fleeing the site to join other groups.

Sadly, these bashers are determined and will follow folks to other sites using fake accounts to infiltrate other groups on other sites. Be careful who you mention another group to join to. Bashers can be like bed bugs. You didn't mean to bring them home but there you are heating your home up to 115 degrees to get rid of them.

What Is a "Basher"?

A "basher" is a person who sets out to ruin the credibility of a stock or company that has shares on the open market. They do this usually for two reasons. They either profit from falling share prices via a method called "shorting" or they wish to scare investors into selling their shares at low prices so that they can buy them at less than what they believe they are actually worth. Even casting a shadow of doubt can be enough to keep a potential investor out thus keeping the price where they want it until they have accomplished their goal. You'll even see many bashers then turn around and "pump" the same stock once they've gained from the loses and now wish to profit from the gains.

There are a few who just enjoy stirring the pot but usually if a person sells their position in a stock, they leave any chats or forums where that stock is the main topic of discussion. Why wouldn't they? Who wants to sit and talk about a stock they are no longer invested in? A basher, that's who.

It's worth noting that there are some bashers who are actually paid by others to do their dirty work. A big time investor who perhaps stands to make thousands of dollars shorting a stock doesn't actually want to sit and bash their day away so, they pay others a fraction of what they believe they'll make to do so for them.

There are even writers, not unlike myself, who create articles specifically to bash a targeted stock. They are like sledgehammers because when people find these articles via searches to learn about a potential investment, they believe what they read. They trust it because "It's a whole website and looks legit." or "It came up in a search. It must be true."

"Pumpers" Can Be Just As Bad

"Pumpers" are just the opposite of a basher and can be just as dangerous. They deceivingly hype a stock to help drive up the cost so they can sell it for gains. If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.

I do believe that both pumpers and bashers are bad, since both are misleading. The video below explains them both.

What Can Be Done About Bashers?

Let's start with the fact that doing your own due diligence when investing is your best defense and weapon. Arming yourself with information will give you more confidence in your investment, protect you from taking in lies as truths, and give you something to toss at a basher if needed to expose their misleading.

While it doesn't help when the moderators are in on the gig, there are still some things you can do to help.

Don't comment on or respond to their posts.

Be careful who you invite into other groups as not to bring home the bugs.

Expose them. If you can expose their misgivings with indisputable facts people will know not to listen. If they admit they have no position, they are a basher. If they admit they have a position and still talk down on the stock, they are a short.

Don't share information with them that they can try to use against you or to their advantage.

If you do respond to them, only post indisputable information on their posts so that anyone who does read their garbage sees your reply tied to it.

You can try to combat them by burying their posts with that of your own, but in the case of iHub, that could be a full time job and you'd better find some friends to help you.

New Investors Beware of iHub

I wish all investors the best in their endeavors. I have no interest other than to help make others, particularly new investors, aware of what is lurking in the stock market chats. As I mentioned earlier, Investor's Hub isn't the only place to find these bashers looking to benefit from your losses and steer you away from potential gains, it just happens to be about the worst. I won't say "stay away," because there are good people with good intentions and information to share. Just be aware and careful when on the boards seeking advice about your potential investment.

A Penny Stock For Your Thoughts...

Have you heard of or visited iHub before?

Questions & Answers

Questions must be on-topic, written with proper grammar usage, and understandable to a wide audience.

Question:

Why doesn’t the SEC intervene and shut down corrupt organizations?

Answer:

I believe there are far more games being played than they can keep up with, they don't care, particularly when it comes to the OTC, or they are as involved as the next guy. The manipulation that goes on in the stock market is unbelievable and often in the open so it wouldn't take much investigating to see what is going on with iHub in particular. Groups get together, invest in a junk stock, pump up the company on false or extremely exaggerated news to get it to tick up a notch or two then sell at a 20-50% profit as soon as volume comes in. Then perhaps they bash it down into oblivion again to create "bagholders" who bought high and move on to the next one. Sound crazy? If you buy at $.0004 and can pump it up to .0005, that's a 25% gain. Penny stock or not, if you invested $10k, you just made $2500.

Comments

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sending

AUTHOR

Dan Robbins

5 months agofrom Ohio

So Mike here is one of those I will warn you about. I'm assuming that because he saw the pictures of the MMEX example that he sees an opportunity to bash a stock that he is not invested in. (nor am I for the record) This article has nothing to do with this or any particular stock but he's seized the opportunity to bash it. Now, maybe he's right...I can't say for sure but why would someone come onto an article like this and comment about a stock that is of no importance to the context. See in this case, no one is reading the article because they are invested in a particular stock so he's likely just wanting to hear himself talk and the only reason I'm allowing the comment on here is to exemplify what type of things go on all across the internet with these "bashers" and "pumpers" and their attempts to manipulate a stock whenever they can. Again, perhaps he's right, perhaps he's wrong...but I guarantee that he is not invested in the stock or if he is then he would only gain by the stock dropping in price. Why else would he say this? Thank you Mike for providing readers a good example of exactly what I'm talking about. Good day.

Mike Fisher

5 months ago

Well, MMEX is a Penny-Scam, so what's all the fuss about ??

AUTHOR

Dan Robbins

7 months agofrom Ohio

Glenn - I believe the mods know exactly what's going on if not part of it. It's a racket but depending on what you're looking to do it can have its uses. I rely on my own DD as well but once in a while I'll find something on a board I did not know or will see what board is getting the most chatter and that can sometimes indicate a PPS is about to move. Sometimes. That said I only visit them once in a great while. Usually if I'm looking for a flip play which is too a rarity for me.

Glenn Stok

7 months agofrom Long Island, NY

Dan, I remember us briefly having stock investing come up in the conversation when I first met you at the Maven Conference. So this article caught my attention.

I never heard of Investor's Hub Boards, at least not by that name. I rarely spend time in investor forums, which is probably why this is news to me. I basically do all my trading based on my own due diligence instead of paying attention to what other people say about any particular stock.

I found what you said very interesting. It’s amazing how much bashing is going on in iHubs. What’s worse, is how the moderators seem to favor the bad stuff and good posts such as yours get deleted. I wonder if the moderators know what the bashers are up to. Seems that they don’t, unless they’re into the same game.

Sharon R

14 months ago

I wish IHub owners and bashers would be take down, fined and jailed. Deplorable pathetic losers. That's all they are. I don't know how those people sleep at night or look themselves in the mirror!

Mike N.

17 months ago

Great Article Dan. 100% Agree with you which is why I recently left ihub. I couldn't access my account for an entire week when the site went down. That was the last straw for me and several others. I have been using Facebook since then and otc.watch. Do you know of any other places that are friendly to regular users?

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